Dolphins captain Imran Khan played a captain innings with both bat and ball in hand in his side’s thrilling one-run victory over the Knights in a One-day Cup cricket match in Bloemfontein on Friday.
The match came down to the wire with the Knights needing only two runs off the last two balls of the match before they were all bowled out.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field first and restricted the Dolphins to 250 runs.
The Knights, however, could not get their innings underway as Werner Coetsee (61) provided most resistance.
Spin bowler Keshav Maharaj was at the forefront of a disciplined Dolphins bowling attack as he claimed the wickets of Obus Pienaar (22), Aubrey Swanepoel (15) and Johan van der Wath (3) with figures of three for 37 from 10 overs.
Khan frustrated the Knights’ batting lineup with economic bowling finishing the match on 2/25 in his 10 overs.
The Knights’ Werner Coetsee came close to being the unlikely hero with the bat after all of his forerunners buckled under the pressure of the Dolphins’ bowling attack.
Coetsee stepped up to the plate with the Knights’ backs firmly against the wall on 139/6 after 30 overs to score 61 runs off 58
balls.
He combined well with Shadley van Schalkwyk (29) for a ninth-wicket partnership of 58 runs.
Earlier, the Dolphins came out firing in their innings with openers Khan and Khayelihle Zondo building a concrete start with a stand of 80 runs.
Khan set the pace with Zondo playing a supportive role as the former stacked up 41 runs in his innings.
He was, however, the first casualty losing his wicket to the bowling of Dean Elgar after facing 51 balls.
Coetsee, who also played a significant role in clinching wickets and keeping the run rate respectable, next claimed Zondo’s wicket.
He was the pick of the bowlers finishing his innings with figures of three for 43 from 10 overs.
Zondo walked back to the dressing room on 44 runs after he had faced 55 deliveries.
The only other noteworthy partnership in the Dolphins' innings was between Devon Conway and David Miller with the two batsmen making a fourth-wicket stand of 54 runs off 53 balls.
With little more than an over before the 40 over mark, Conway lost his wicket to the bowling of Coetsee, contributing 45 runs to his side’s cause.
His demise signalled the Dolphins’ collapse with only Miller making a stand while his teammates bowed to the Knights’ bowling attack.
With Conway back in the dressing room the Dolphins were on 189/4, but they were all skittled out within the next 10 overs.
Miller cheaply lost his wicket with two overs remaining in the innings on 56 runs off 60 deliveries. - Sapa